A Dance With The Devil
by X-LonelyGirl-X
Summary: AU Liley. Lilly is a vampire, bitten over seventy times. She spends her betwixt life fighting against herself. One fateful day she comes across the innocent Miley who also has a past. Can either of them be saved? Rated M, just in case. Eventual Liley
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Happy Halloween! Yeah, I intended to write this short one-shot for Halloween but as usual, I got too into it and the words kept flowing. This is nothing like what I had planned but it's okay I suppose, I dunno how often I'll post to this one, I don't know how long it's gona be either. It could be three chapters, it could end up being thirteen or more. I dunno. It depends on whether you guys like it and on whether I get bored with it. **

**FYI, these are not Twilight vampires. These are the vampires I have in my head, the cooler non-sparkly ones. **

**A Dance With The Devil**

Here I stand. Helpless. Left for dead.

They didn't know. They couldn't know. They would know. I'd show them. I'd creep into their homes, into their bedrooms and with my new found talents, I would terrify them. Torture them. Feast upon them. They'd be the helpless ones. I'd leave them for dead. See if they would like it. But I wouldn't. I wouldn't go back to that small town in the middle of nowhere. I promised that myself I wouldn't.

They didn't know I was one of the condemned before they had attacked me. They thought I was _turning_ not _turned_. And that mistake will be their downfall. I'd never wanted to be like this, I never wanted to be a creature of the night, to be stimulated by the dark and all things evil. I didn't want to feel a need to bury myself in earth, to hide in cemeteries and stalk helpless humans. But that's what I'd become. This small town was infected with them. Hardly anyone made the change though. Our doctors and scientists, from their experiments on the dead, dying and the betwixt, they discovered that only certain DNA chains could support the change, the infection, and alter it to their own benefit. To mutate it.

You see, vampires are not one specific type of being. No, they are all completely different. They were all humans once, but once infected, each individual who survives awakens with a different mutation. One which differentiates them from all others. To be crude, you could say they were like dogs – one species, many breeds. But there was only ever one of each 'breed'. And they'd learnt this well, those 'breeds' with supreme intellect were able to figure out how to create vampires with specific traits such as magnificent speed, phenomenal agility, the ability to jump higher than most buildings, to be able to become one with the night... the list goes on. And just like their human counterparts, they experimented. I was one of those experiments.

It was a night in late June when I was kidnapped. I'd screamed but they gagged my mouth, those with eyes burning like fire and cloaked in the night. I'd been so careful; everyone knew that the young people of the town were being abducted... a single lapse in my carefulness and they snatched me. A whole month I was gone. A whole month. There was no search party, no posters put up, no police. The town never alerted anyone of the goings on; afraid they'd all be killed in case they were devils too.

I was bitten. Not just once like the usual victims. I was an experiment; I got different treatment. I was bitten over seventy times. I'd counted. Every piercing burn was worse than the last. Each infection different from the previous as my body tried to cope, tried to mutate each one to keep my human heart alive. You see, that's the only way to kill a vampire for sure (bar removing its head), to put a stake through its heart. It's because the heart remains human. It alters, yes, but the muscle itself is not 'vampiric' for lack of a better term. No one could figure out why, it just happened. It was the only connection a vampire had with the human world, what allowed them to blend in more.

When I awoke from my change, I was in the woods near my home. I didn't know I was turned, I didn't feel much different. I thought it was just a bad dream, so I ran home. I barely noticed that I was home in mere seconds. I went straight to the house I shared with my parents and found the door locked, I knocked on the door and it flew off its hinges and shattered inside the house. My parents and sister ran to see what had happened and found me stood there. I grinned and went to hug them but found I couldn't get in... It was like some kind of invisible glass was in the threshold.

My sister, bless her, she tugged on my mother's sleeve and asked why I was acting funny. That small movement of hers awoke my senses. I could _smell_ her. I could smell the delicious fluid coursing around her tiny body. It awoke strange sensations within me. I found myself running my tongue around my mouth. I felt sharp incisors reaching down and poking into my bottom lip. It grew uncomfortable and I had to open my mouth slightly to accommodate. The three of them jumped back at the sight and I cried. I saw in their eyes; the fear. I knew what I'd become and I cried.

"But... the other vampires don't cry mummy," I heard my sister whine. I looked up at her, and much to my surprise she wandered closer to the threshold. My mom fainted and my dad reached for her to catch her before she fell, allowing my little baby sister to walk right up to where the door was. I crouched down and pushed my hand against the invisible glass. She did the same and I felt her warm hand against mine. I knew I could lull her out, I could easily devour her. But I just cried. "They kill the other ones... they chop off bits of them and they don't cry. They kill their own families, they don't cry. Why you cry?"

"Because I know I want to hurt you," I told the sweet little six year old girl, her long blonde hair so like mine, hanging down below her waist. "But I feel like I have the strength to stop it."

"You sure?" she said and I shrugged. "Let's see," she said suddenly and jumped into my arms. Normally I'd have been thrown back from the action, but I didn't move. Not one bit. It was like she'd jumped into a brick wall and she pulled her head back and her nose was bleeding where it had connected with my chest. I tore off some of my sleeve and gave it to her, the blood having a surprisingly minimal effect on me.

"Look Heather, she... she didn't go into bloodlust." I heard my father say. I could smell it, yes. It smelt delicious. But I didn't want it. Is this what they wanted? Is this the outcome of the experimentation? For a vampire to be able to walk amongst man without being thwarted by bloodlust. It would be the perfect tactic – its how so many vampires were captured. Humans would slay an animal and wait for a vampire, sick with bloodlust to come feast on it... then they'd capture, torture, maim, (occasionally experiment) and kill it.

"My...my baby," my mother cried, crawling along the floor to hug me. Soon all four of us were hugging, the fear they held before gone.

"I have to leave, don't I?" I said and I pulled back. We all had tears down our faces and I could hear sadness in their hearts. I could actually hear it. The subtle difference in their heart rate signified their emotion, and I could smell it too... they gave off different emotions. Pain, sadness, grief and loss. I also smelt admiration and I knew it came from the little girl hugging around my waist. I crouched to her again. "You," I smiled and gently touched her cheek, being so very careful knowing a mere knock on a door sent it flying. I controlled it well and she smiled, pushing into my hand. "You better not be thinking what I think you are,"

"What?" she said, a curious eyebrow raised.

"You want to be a vampire." I said simply and my mother took a sharp breath in, her hand going to her chest. "This isn't cool Sarah; this isn't something I want you to wish for. They'll hear your thoughts and come take you, you know that. You need to fear them, you need to fear me. They're more likely to leave you alone if you're scared, if you're careful. Promise me?"

"I can't fear you, you're my sister." She smirked and hugged around my neck now. I stood, and she still held on, the weight not bothering me – it was if she were merely a pendent around my throat.

"I could make you fear me," I warned. I looked to my mother and father. "I need to leave before they find me. I don't want you to watch them slaughter me."

They held back tears and I could hear that they were only trying to be strong, that they smelt like pure sadness. A raw distraught. I tried to smile at them and they recoiled slightly and I realised that my incisors were still abnormally long. "I'll have to get used to that," I tried to joke. "I'm not quite used to it,"

"Be careful, won't you?" My dad said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "And know that we'll never forget you."

_Lillian._

I span my head around, searching for the one who called my name so softly yet so loudly at the same time. There was no one around. I could hear the soft beating of the neighbour's hearts but it wasn't them who had called to me.

"Lilly?" My mom said quietly, worry evident in her voice and scent. I turned back to her, thinking it must have just been my imagination. "What's wrong?"

_Lillian._

I span quicker, releasing Sarah and moving into the street searching everywhere, finding my eyesight was so much better and it was like I had telescopic vision too as I could focus in on specific places with a mere thought. Even with this ability, I found no source of the sound.

_Lillian. Run._

I gasped then. The force of the voice in my head was like thunder but quieter than a whisper. That's when I saw them spot me, the Vampire Hunters. Their trained eyes could spot a vampire from a mile away. I was merely a few hundred yards away. They ran at me. Both the voice and instinct told me to run but my feet were glued to the floor. I glanced back and forth from the hunters to my family, who huddled close together, terror emanating so fiercely from them that I swear I could almost see it.

Anger and fear were heavy in the air. I still couldn't move. It was almost easy for them to capture me. They were mere inches from me when I finally made a dash to leave but they threw a stake at me, their experienced skill caused the long, sharp wooden implement to sail through the air directly at my still human heart. I heard it as it grew closer and shifted my weight onto my right foot to push myself effortlessly into a dive to the left. The stake ripped through my clothes and scraped across my thigh, taking some flesh with it. I screeched out in pain, the sound so high pitched even the Vampire Hunters had to cover their ears.

No one knew why wood effected vampires so. Religious people say it's because we shall one day burn in hell and wood is the kindling which will burn our flesh to ash. The scientists say it's the medicinal properties of certain tree barks which counteracts the infection. A vampire cannot become human again and the counteraction of the infection is merely killing the vampire. They can survive being cut with wood but it pains them, can scar them... it can only kill them once it enters the heart.

I lay on the floor, clutching my leg. It bled but not much and very slowly. The cut wasn't deep but it burned, it burned so bad; maybe there is some truth in the religious man's theory. I was so engrossed in my pain I barely noticed them tie my wrists and ankles and wrap a noose around my neck, the rope laced with strong garlic which made my nose feel like it was on fire. My eyes watered not from fear but from pain.

They tried to hang me that day. Tried. I was bound and gagged and they dug small wooden things in my flesh and watched me writhe. The whole town watched, including my family, as they beat me. They tried to cut off my hand too, but the metal wouldn't even pierce my skin. For some reason, they announced that I wasn't fully turned. That I wasn't yet a fully turned vampire. That my death would free me of the curse. Yes they would still kill me, but it would be out of mercy, not for extermination.

_Lillian. Escape._

I sobbed. It was like the voice was taunting me. How could I escape when I was bound and had a stake hovering above me?

_Lillian. Escape._

"Shut up." I muttered behind my gag.

_Escape, damn it!_

I was shocked at the emotion in the voice, it was like they were right next to me yet miles away but I heard every decibel clearly.

_I'll hurt her._

"No!"I tried to yell as the voice threw an image of Sarah, mangled and bloody into my mind. How was this happening? I found Sarah in the crowd, her bright green eyes fixed on me as she cried. The voice threw another image of a dark cloaked figure stealing her away, feasting on her blood. "No!" I yelled, the gag snapping and I wriggled and writhed, the ropes falling away as if they were made from nothing but mere string. They all gasped and I received a stake in my back, it just missed my heart and I screeched.

_Pretend they killed you. Pretend they got your heart._

I didn't have to pretend I was in pain. It did feel like I was dying. I staggered around, heading backwards towards the river before 'falling in' with a screech. I was taken by the current and thrown against the rocks. The impact would kill any human instantly, but I barely felt it. I lay there, letting the rushing water flow over me as I was pushed against the rock, the stake still embedded in my back. I could hear them perfectly from here.

"Is she dead?"

"She will be. It takes some time for the ones who haven't turned yet,"

"Lilly!" I heard Sarah's cry and I wanted to jump up and run to her.

_You can't see her again. You can't see any of them again._

"Who are you?" I asked. Was this voice to be trusted? How could I even hear the voice? Was I insane? Had the experimentation altered my brain function so much that I was hearing voices? Or was this normal for a vampire? Did they all have a voice speaking to them? Or was this a bad omen, something dangerous?

_I'm you._

**AN: Please review and make my day?**

**To be honest with you, even I didn't know that whole 'I'm you.' was going to happen. I don't really know where this fic is going, I know one scene I'll do and how it will end; it's the bit in the middle which is kinda non-exisitant. But bear with me on this, okay? It will eventually become Liley, you'll see (if you want me to continue, that is). Stay tuned x**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I apologise for the sheer length of time I've kept you waiting for this. I've struggled with it though I won't lie and say I am not one to procrastinate, I really am. Well, without delaying this further, here you are: this is the second chapter which is completely different to the original one I had planned over a year ago. Enjoy x**

**I also dedicate this chapter to my Honna Bonana who I hope will continue smiling :)**

**Chapter Two:**_Haunted_

Two hundred years. Gone.

Two hundred years. And I'm still here.

I took an unnecessary deep breath and picked up a stone by my foot, relishing the coolness that greeted my palm. My thumb caressed it as I allowed my mind to continue drifting in my memories, to wallow in self-pity and to cry out for something – _anything_ – to alleviate the echoing loneliness of my existence. The lake before me was calming, beautiful and serene yet even this added to the sadness in my still human heart. The lake was lonely too; it reflected the dying sun, the darkening sky and the trees and pebbles which lined its borders. It was as if the water missed being in the clouds, being so high above everything and so in its mourning of a life it once had; it reflected the scene and created its own mirror world, still beautiful but not quite the same.

That was me. I was like the lake. I was still me but not quite the same.

I tossed the stone and it skipped along the surface of the lake all the way to the other side where it landed with a loud thud, embedded in the bark of a tree. I finally exhaled the breath I had held in a long sigh, wondering if I should attempt to drown myself in the lake. I'd tried it before many years ago, not long after I had first tasted human blood. I won't lie, it was delicious. Nothing sweeter would ever touch my lips. But I had taken a life to for selfish reasons and I still felt guilty for giving in to my darker nature. I sought to kill myself like my town had tried to kill me but I couldn't find anything that worked and I am ashamed to admit that I couldn't plunge a stake into my own heart.

It's been over one hundred and fifty years since I last sought out a human for sustenance, I made a vow that I would never taste it again. I yearned for it yes; I actually sort of missed what it could give me that animal blood could not. But I would not allow myself to fall into that pit of darkness again, to feel the consciousness of my victim running through my veins. I had passed that phase. That's all it would ever be; a phase.

_Lillian_.

I pulled my eyes from the depths of the lake and began scanning my surroundings, all my senses on high alert. I strained my ears and heard the dull heartbeat; I caught a hint of fear echoing in its chambers. I could sense it's excitement on the air. A branch snapped and leaves rustled. That sound came from another direction. Another heartbeat. This one was more erratic with its excitement.

_Lillian. There are more coming._

The voice was right; heartbeats were streaming in from all directions. Four. Five. Seven. Twelve. I heard the sounds of vehicles, throbbing engines. There was fear among the ranks yes, but they all had one thing in common; a determination. I was being hunted.

_Move!_

The voice echoed in my ears though it never made a sound. My legs burst into action and I fled the clearing. They'd seen me and they too began running, their feet making much larger sounds than mine. Their vehicles roared as they accelerated. The chase had begun.

_Left!_

I dived to the left the instant I heard the voice, a long stake missed me by inches and I rolled along the ground before propelling myself easily to my feet and continuing my run. I was much faster than mere humans but I hadn't fed in days, my strength was weaning; I wouldn't keep this pace up much longer.

_Again!_

This time I had heard the sound of the weapon as the voice alerted me; again, I dropped to the ground as a second stake flew past me. I knew the weapon well; it had been used against me before. It was basically a 'stake-gun'; gas-propelled and could shoot stakes at over seventy miles an hour. More stakes were shot at me and I soon had to perform several moves in order to avoid being impaled. Over and over I dived and rolled and jumped, the vehicles following me alongside their human counterparts. I contemplated running directly into the forest about a mile away but the voice told me to carry straight on, following the shore of the lake towards the main road. I knew not to go against the advice of the voice in my mind; though I knew not its real origins or intentions, it had always kept me safe in times of trouble.

I leapt over the metal fence which lined the main road and landed right in front of a red pick-up truck. They came to an abrupt stop, the tires squealing in protest. A dark haired human was behind the wheel, most likely in shock at my sudden appearance. I paid them no attention; they were not important. I darted a look left and right; to my left was clear road and to the right was a very large van accompanied by two police cruisers painted black. These belonged to those who chased me. I stole a look behind me to see my pursuers; all wielded a weapon and ran as fast as they could towards the fence. Those on the quad-like vehicles span quickly to head towards a gap in the fence while those on foot seemed to have decided to take a chance at scaling the eight-foot high metal fence.

The black police cruisers were suddenly on the move followed by the van which I knew was home to a vampire containment unit and various weapons of torture. My feet were once again moving, slapping hard on the tarmac which allowed me to run faster than the uneven ground near the lake. The police cruisers were quickly catching up to me in my unfed state and I knew I had to find a way off of the road.

_The forest._

I did as the voice asked and turned left at a fork in the road, keeping on the tarmac to keep my speed up as much as possible. The forest was a mile away but it didn't take long for me to reach it. I knew at once why the voice had told me to head toward the road and not the forest initially; it meant that I would put distance between my enemies on foot as they scaled a fence and that as I entered the trees, the police cruisers could no longer follow me. This small diversion gave me more time to get away and for them to lose my tail.

As I dashed through the trees, I heard their curses and their shouts to pursue me. They would follow me into this dark forest but here, this is where I held the advantage. With a leap, I launched myself into the air; my feet pounding off of tree trunks as I gained height and still continued moving forward. Soon I was in the canopy of the trees and it is here that I slowed my pace; now was a time for stealth over speed. I moved almost silently from branch to branch, tree to tree, taking random directions in hope that those below would be unable to determine a particular path to follow.

Minutes of this passed and I was soon in the very centre of the forest and I dropped down to the ground. My booted feet sank into the hard soil with the impact. It was cool in the darkness, it was calming and I soon felt at one in my surroundings. Shadows crept in every direction and as I strode over moss cover trunks, I felt comforted shrouded in their embrace.

_You need to feed_.

"I know," I replied, my eyes already searching for sustenance. I found it as it drank from a small stream. A deer. A doe barely four years old. She caught my scent on the air like all animals do and she bolted in the opposite direction. I gave chase but it was upsettingly too easy to catch her. Her face was in my hands, her strong jaw in my palms. "I'm sorry," I told her as soothingly as I could, looking her deep in the eye. Her heart rate was erratic but she couldn't run from me now, her eyes were fixated on me as I leant in. The vein in her throat pulsated, throbbing and I promised her I would be gentle as I sank my elongated incisors into her flesh.

A small whimper was all that escaped the beautiful creature as I drained her body, feeling my own become rejuvenated and strong once more. I lay the limp creature down on the ground, apologising for taking its life.

_We don't have time for this; they're coming._

"I know, you're not the only one with senses," I retorted. I knew they were coming, that they were following my elusive tracks. They would find the deer, drained of its blood and know for sure I was here. They were fuelled by anger; their determination was so strong that I could feel it in waves as they neared. For a split second, I contemplated letting them capture me and killing me. But then, the deer's death would have been pointless and I didn't want to die at their hands. Again my feet were moving and I was flying over branches and rocks and fallen tree trunks.

_Up._

I leapt into the air, scaling the tree and posing myself on a branch to look down at the ground some forty feet below. The branches and leaves of the tree hid me well from the ground though I had an almost perfect view. The sun had now left the sky as the moon held dominance of the sky. Barely any moonlight touched the ground bar a ghostly hue and I knew that the humans would find it damn near impossible to discover my location. With a blink and small shake of my head, my vision turned into a spectrum of blues. I spotted the deer I had slain, its body a bright red but it was cooling and changing colour in accordance with this. The heat signatures of the humans soon approached, reds and yellows, their metal weapons a mix of blue and greens.

I stayed quiet, watching as the humans pulsating with fresh hot blood grew ever closer to my location.

"The tracks, they've gone!" claimed one of the men, scanning everywhere for any sign of my whereabouts. He held a flashlight which he used to examine the ground.

"Look to the trees," came another voice and soon they all were looking up, some with flashlights shining into the branches. I held my breath.

"Nothing sir!" called another. "I can't see her,"

"Give me your hand," said the man addressed as sir. He slung the shotgun he held over his shoulder into a leather strap, to free his hands. He pulled a knife from his belt and sliced open the hand of one of his men. The man yelped in pain and examined his hand, blood pouring out of the wound and down his arm. "Blood lust gentlemen, this should lead the monster out,"

It was true, if I were any other vampire the likelihood of abandoning my hiding place to feast would be very high but I had the uncommon ability to resist. The scent greeted my nostrils and I could feel my mouth water with longing and my incisors burn with want but I was able to easily keep my position. They waited for an hour and I sat unmoving just as long. The man who bled was now bandaged up and feeling weak from loss of blood. Soon they decided that I had clearly left the area and so had not smelt the blood and suffered bloodlust. They could see no other explanation and I smiled as they began to leave. I waited several minutes longer until they were out of earshot before dropping to the ground and returning my vision to normal.

"I need to get out of Canada," I said to myself, realising that I couldn't keep evading the high population of vampire hunters here. I don't even know why I came to Canada; I knew how dangerous a place it was. But where could I go?

-x-

_Here?_ Questioned the voice in my mind in one of the rare occasions it spoke when I was neither hungry or in danger.

"Yes," I responded almost dreamily as I found myself entranced by the sign before me. My feet had carried me thousands of miles with no real thought as to where I was going. I never expected to return here yet here I was and somehow, deep in my very being, I knew I was supposed to once again walk the streets of my old hometown. I had questions that needed answering and an old heart in need of healing.

It could have been hours that I stood there looking at the sign. It had been two hundred years since I last stood here but still, the sight of it shocked me. It was made of _metal_. Not the old wood I knew but of metal. And it welcomed me; _welcomed!_ There were no warnings of danger and no big red 'beware' scrawled upon it. It was very plain; white with large black letters. Old Oak Falls. The remaining difference was that when I grew up here, it was just Oak Falls.

Hesitation and nerves suddenly prickled in my mind. What was here for me apart from painful memories? My heart was broken with the knowledge I had long outlived anyone I had ever known, that they lived and died believing I was a monster who had been killed by the very people they shared their town with. The memories of my abduction were also here... were there still vampires here? Could I find out if they had a purpose for me? Why they bit me over seventy times? And the question which often haunted my dreams and made me question everything about myself – did they _still_ have a purpose for me?

Everything I ever thought of held origins here. Even if I discover nothing, I know that I still need to roam these streets once more.

And with that thought, I took that first step past the sign and along the road which would lead me right into the centre of town. It struck me odd that time had touched this town; electricity hummed in the streetlights and in homes. There was a road and sidewalks just like any other town I'd visited. I was no stranger to the modern world, I had often revelled in it but here... this was where I grew up and so much changed even with things as simple as streetlights.

The houses and buildings looked very much the same but I knew the interior would me much more modern with televisions, microwaves and broadband. The place looked like a town trying too hard to hold on to its history; keeping its architecture very much in tune with the old buildings I once knew.

My feet kept walking and I listened to the sounds of life dwelling within the various buildings. I spotted Mrs Gibson's house which was now a sweet shop, its many colourful jars lining the windows. I sighed remembering seeing Mrs Gibson in the crowd as I had a noose around my neck and wooden implements embedded in my flesh. She had been crying. I felt my own emotion begin to well up inside me as memories of her baby-sitting me flashed in my mind; she'd helped when my mom gave birth to Sarah too. Oh Sarah... my parents...

My feet picked up speed and I was now jogging through the streets, though at a human pace; I hurried along the path as though nothing had changed. I still knew this town like the back of my hand and was soon stood in front of my old home. The door was coated in plastic, the windows lined with ugly white PVC and a television was on in the front room. No window box like mom's which bloomed beautifully every spring with tulips and crocuses. No wooden fence hand-built by my father lining the small front yard. No doll left to fend for herself in the long grass as my sister stalked her like a lion would with its prey. Nothing but a cast iron sign by the door with ornate writing: 'The Johnsons'.

I choked back a sob as more and more memories flooded my mind. My family were long gone. I had known that but here, seeing our home so unrecognisable really emphasised that they hadn't walked this earth in a long long time. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing. I knew I was being watched, I could feel several eyes on me; curiosity and anxiety poured off them in waves. I was a stranger stood in the middle of the road looking up at _The Johnsons_ house for no apparent reason; I understood their reactions.

When I opened my eyes I found myself by the church gate, my feet having brought me here without any real thought of my own. I knew instantly that this is where I had wanted to visit, that it had been in my subconscious for a very long time. I wanted to see the graves of my family; to say a long overdue goodbye.

I walked very slowly into the churchyard, the peculiar yet comforting sensation of being among the dead creeping into my mind. My eyes looked from grave stone to grave stone, some were recent and some were here when I was a girl. I eventually found them by the fence of the far side. I could no longer rein in my emotion and I sank heavily to the ground, no concern whatsoever about being careful and my knees sank several inches into the ground. Tears poured down my face as I knelt before my parents' graves.

Through my tears I noted the dates of their deaths. My mother died a year after I last saw her and it pulled at my heart as I wondered if my fate had contributed to her early death. I reached out and ran my hand over the cool rough stone, clearing some of the moss which grew in abundance. By her side lay my father, outliving his wife by twenty-two years. Twenty-two years with his wife dead and believing his eldest to have been murdered. My heart ached at the thought of my gentle-souled father having to live through that and I placed my hand softly on the ground where he lay. I wiped my eyes and turned to the next grave but was shocked to find it wasn't Sarah's. Surely they would bury my sister by my parents.

I roamed the entire churchyard twice. There was no sign of her. I thought maybe she had married and was buried with his family though there was no other Sarah born the same year. She wasn't here. I sank once more before my parents' graves. "Where is she?" I asked, wondering if she had left Oak Falls – now Old Oak Falls – and was buried in another town. How would I ever find her?

_Someone is nearing._

I ignored the voice as my stomach filled with dread. What if they had taken her? What if she was like me? No. Not my sister, my sister was not a monster like me. My sister is dead. We both are.

_Lillian!_

"What?" I yelled, frustrated at the intrusion.

"Excuse me?"

I span and found myself faced with a young-looking man; his hair was a dark blond and relatively unkempt though the sides were neatly shaven. His face looked very young, almost baby faced though I could tell from the scent of his blood that he was around his mid-twenties. "Sorry," I said, dropping my gaze from his curious stare. A small dog was at his feet, eagerly sniffing the air, curiosity in its eyes as if it couldn't quite understand what I was. I feared the reaction the dog would have when it finally figured it out so I stood, hoping to end this meeting as soon as possible. "I didn't mean to shout; I thought you were someone else," I told the stranger.

"It's quite alright," he said politely with a smile. I noticed he had very white straight teeth which gave him a wonderful smile. "Now, are you alright?" his smile turned into concern and I realised quite how strange I must look kneeling before centuries old graves and crying.

"Would you believe me if I said I just had something in my eye?" I ventured, knowing very well that he wouldn't. His heart rate was a smooth pace but my senses prickled as he let out a chuckle; emotions were stirring within him. I also sensed his dog realising what I was. I took a few steps away after hastily brushing dirt from my jeans. "I have to go,"

"So soon?" was his quick reply and I sensed the embarrassment long before the blush touched his cheeks. He didn't mean to say that; he feared that he'd just let his attraction slip. But I'd already realised from the subtle changes to his heartbeat, the miniscule change in the scent of him and the slight dilation of his pupils.

The fur along the dog's back rose and he began viciously barking at me. The stranger tugged on its leash, clearly startled at this absurd behaviour. "What's wrong, boy?" he asked, crouching as he tried to calm his pet. "I'm so sorry; I don't know what's got into him." When the stranger looked up, I was gone. I left him confused with a very agitated dog who continued barking in the direction I had fled.

_I warned you someone was nearing._

"I know," I replied as I broke several thick branches. "I was just distracted; my parents are lying dead and decomposed in the ground and my sister... well, I don't know where she is,"

_I understand. What do you plan to do now?_

"I honestly don't know," I admitted and sank to the ground, my back sliding down a tree. The ground was cool and the forest was relatively dark. I had travelled so far in so little time; I was physically drained and now I was emotionally drained and I was quickly becoming hungry once more. "I need to feed and then curl up somewhere."

**AN: I wholeheartedly promise I won't make you make wait over a year for the next chapter. **

**Please review and leave me your thoughts**

**Stay tuned :)**


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